


Is This Allowed?

by orphan_account



Category: Community (TV), Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (TV)
Genre: Angst, Awkward Crush, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I'm Bad At Tagging, Loneliness, Teacher-Student Relationship, smut in chapter 3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2017-01-18
Packaged: 2018-09-08 09:55:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8840104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: When Eleanor Davis, a new student at Greendale, develops a crush on Professor Ian Duncan, the Study Group conspires to set the two up. No one knows where it will lead…





	1. Genesis

**Author's Note:**

> Hey you guys! I'm excited to give you all chapter one of my new Ian Duncan/OFC fic! I wanted to do something longer with a slow burn… I think that it will be easier than a smutty one-shot. Anyway, chapter two will hopefully be up before Christmas, but no promises. I really hope you all enjoy it!

It was an average day at Greendale Community College: the sun was shining, the birds were singing, the Dean was prattling off nonsense over the intercom, and Professor Ian Duncan was hungover.

  
The entire Anthropology class was fully aware of this, especially Eleanor, who was nodding off in the back row as Duncan played cat videos on the projector. Her head snapped back up as the class laughed raucously, watching doped up cats flailing around on the floor with cones around their necks. She grinned to herself as she watched Duncan hiccup from laughing so hard – or was he just drunk? The world would never know.

  
Eleanor couldn’t help but enjoy Anthropology since it gave her an excuse to stare at Duncan. His quirky personality paired with his British accent was irresistible to her. An Anglophile at heart, Eleanor had grown up obsessed with British history and pop culture. Duncan was the first real Brit that she had ever met, and while he stumbled over his words and his own feet, she found him to be quite endearing. A part of her pitied him, too; his perpetual intoxication was a sign of discontent and depression. She was sure that part of it stemmed from the fact that he was a professor at a community college, and the only member on staff with a doctorate. He deserved better. Besides, she had never seen him with anyone who could have been a potential friend to him, besides Jeff. But that was perhaps even more troubling, considering that this was Jeff’s first year at Greendale, leading her to the conclusion that just last year Duncan was probably completely alone.

  
Eleanor desperately wanted to befriend him, but had no idea how. Number one, he was her teacher. Number two, she had no clue what any of his interests were, besides alcohol and psychology. She assumed that bringing up his alcohol dependency was not a good starting point, and she knew very little about psych – she was stumped.

  
As she was thinking on this, the lunch bell finally rang. Students scrambled from their seats to the door, slinging their bags over their shoulders while still giggling from a period of YouTubing. Duncan tripped down to his desk and sorted some papers, probably from his Psychology students. Eleanor took her time packing her things, sliding her laptop into its case and putting her pencils into their pouch, which read “Always remember you are braver than you believe, smarter than you think, & loved more than you know.” She uttered a goodbye to Duncan as she slipped out of the classroom, his head still bowed as he pored over his papers. He looked up at her as she turned the corner, a small smile appearing on his face as he watched her wavy golden locks bounce on her shoulders.

  
Duncan made his way to the cafeteria, looking around for any sign of Jeff Winger, one of his few friends at Greendale. After having made his way through the lunch line, he spotted Jeff sitting at a table by himself, and quickly took the seat opposite. As Jeff was about to utter a hello, Duncan blurted, “Do you think women find me attractive?” Jeff furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Duncan, confused.

  
“What do you mean?” Jeff asked.

  
Duncan sighed.

  
“Am I an attractive man? Because I have had no luck with any women, at all, ever.” Jeff was still confused. “Jeff, in short, will you set me up with someone? I am hopelessly alone.”

  
“You can’t just use Tinder or something? How about ‘AlcoholicBrits.com?’” Jeff teased.

  
“I’m serious, Jeff,” Duncan pleaded.

  
Jeff sighed, leaning back in his seat as he inspected Duncan.

  
“Jeff, you know me. You’re one of the few people who does. And you are the friend of mine who knows the most women, so I figured you would know one who would like me,” Duncan continued to make his case to Jeff, still not touching his food.

  
“Fine. I’ll do it,” Jeff consented.

  
“Thank you,” Duncan sighed and began to eat.

***

Eleanor made herself scarce during lunch, eating a power bar and napping in the break room. She had been studying late into the night the previous evening, and was barely awake, even after having spent a whole class eyeing Duncan.

  
Jeff and the Study Group walked into the break room, talking loudly before they noticed Eleanor curled up on the couch, snoring lightly.

  
“Aw, look how cute she looks!” Squealed Shirley.

  
Eleanor let out a loud snore.

  
“Well that wasn’t cute,” Troy said.

  
Abed walked over and kneeled by the couch, his face inches away from Eleanor’s.

  
“WAKE UP!” he yelled right in her face.

  
“Holy - holy shit!” Eleanor woke with a start, flailing her limbs about her and backing away from Abed, who was still inches away. “Why would you do that?!”

  
“We wanted to invite you to study with us tonight,” said Abed.

  
“Couldn’t that have waited until I woke up? Or couldn’t you have just asked me in Anthropology?”

  
“Good point,” conceded Britta.

  
“The point is now moot, since you are already awake,” countered Abed. “The question, however, still stands – would you like to study with us tonight?”

  
“Sure,” Eleanor sighed, rubbing her eyes, “But why are you inviting me?”

  
“Because you’re the only one who knows anything about anything,” Jeff commented.

  
“And you’re very attractive. We need someone new besides Britta,” said Pierce.

  
“Hey!” yelled Britta, aggravated.

  
“Don’t listen to him, Eleanor,” Annie interrupted. “We want you because we think that you would be a good addition to the Group!” She smiled, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

  
Eleanor smiled back. Duncan wasn't the only one: she had been having trouble making friends, too.

  
“Yeah, I’d love to study with you all!” she sighed.

  
Jeff looked Eleanor over. She was quite pretty, he had to admit. Her wavy locks framed her round face perfectly, and the golden tones of her hair complimented her emerald eyes. Her long legs were curled under her as she sat on the couch. Eleanor's most prominent feature, her height, set her apart from the others; but at the same time she was incredibly clumsy, like a newborn giraffe plopped on its feet moments after birth. Her greatest asset was perhaps her ability to laugh at herself; once Jeff had observed her fall flat on her ass after having tripped over something, and while others gasped in shock and rushed to her side, she just sat there – and laughed. She picked herself up and carried on to her next class, still giggling. Even though she was clumsy, Jeff knew her to be a confident woman. She took great pride in her appearance, wearing clothes that hugged her curves. She was not afraid to wear a bold lip that matched the intensity of her natural brow, even if she received stares in the hallway. But what puzzled Jeff the most was her solitude. He often saw her alone, scrolling on her phone or laptop and avoiding people. He had never seen her stick around a certain person or group for long. It had been Annie’s idea to invite her into the Study Group, and Jeff was glad she had suggested it because in a way he pitied Eleanor. She could use some friends.

  
“So, since it’s Friday, we’re all gonna hang out tonight in the study room if you wanna come. It’ll be like an initiation ceremony!” squealed Annie.

  
“I’ll be there!” said Eleanor. She was ecstatic to have been invited into the Study Group. Not because she wanted people to study with, but because she was sick of being alone all the time.

The rest of the day passed quickly, but not quickly enough for Eleanor. She arrived at the study room promptly at five, anxious to get to know the Group better.

“Oh good, you’re here!” said Britta. She motioned for Eleanor to sit between her and Annie.

“SO! We wanna hear all about you!” said Annie.

“Yeah, like what’s your cup size? I’d say that you’re a D but I could be wrong.” said Pierce, staring pointedly at her chest.

Eleanor raised her eyebrows.

“She’s definitely a D,” said Abed.

…and zipped up her jacket.

“Guys, stop being creepy! We don’t wanna scare her off,” Britta scolded.

“Britta’s right, that’s no way to talk to a lady,” said Shirley.

Once the initial awkwardness passed, the rest of the night went by quickly. The group discovered her love of books, Broadway, and most of all, Great Britain.

“ – and then the Inspector is faced with this horrible decision: does he save Pompeii, therefore saving thousands of lives and forever altering history, or does he let them all die and leave history as it is?!” Eleanor finished her rant.

Abed was the only one still engaged in the conversation.

“Well, I think that –”

“OKAY!” Jeff yelled as he stood up, slamming his palms on the table. “Let’s call it a night. We have – or rather, Eleanor and Abed – have been talking about this Inspector Spacetime for an entire hour now. I’ll see you all on Monday.” Jeff said, quickly gathering his things and walking out of the door.

The rest of the group followed suit, chatting about their weekend plans on their way out of the door. Eleanor was positively bubbly, content to have found her niche at Greendale.

***

Duncan and Jeff met once again on Monday for lunch.

“So, any luck?” asked Duncan eagerly as he sat down across from Jeff.

“With what?” asked Jeff, his mouth full of food.

Duncan’s face fell. “With finding me a date,” he said.

Jeff sat up quickly. “Oh – my gosh, I completely forgot – I’m so sorry!”

Duncan stared down at his food. “No, it – it’s alright, I never should have asked you, you don’t have to do it, it’s really okay,” he stammered.

“No, no! Of course I will! I just completely forgot, to be honest,” said Jeff.

Duncan smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

Eleanor, Annie, and Britta made their way toward Jeff with their trays of food. Eleanor’s plate was loaded with extra desserts. They laughed as they sat down, Annie next to Duncan, Britta next to Jeff, and Eleanor on the end.

“Oh – hello, Professor, I didn’t expect to see you here,” sputtered Eleanor.

“Well, teachers do need to eat, too!” He chuckled. She smiled as she met his eyes.

“It’s Eleanor, right?” asked Duncan cautiously.

“Yeah, yeah… it is,” she mumbled, holding tightly onto her thigh under the table and drumming her fingers along the edge of her lunch tray.

Jeff gave Eleanor a sidelong glance and raised his eyebrows as she bit her bottom lip and stared down at her food. He made eye contact with Britta, having a silent conversation with glances and eyebrow raises. Everyone else continued eating in an awkward silence. Thankfully Troy and Abed showed up, in the middle of an extensive conversation about some video game.

“Yeah, and so then I shot the guy while he was in midair and – woah, why is everyone so quiet?” asked Troy.

“No reason,” said Duncan. “We’re just eating.”

Abed surveyed the group. “I sense tension.”

“Guys, I’m gonna go, I need to get some things for my next class,” said Eleanor as she grabbed her tray of half-eaten food and stood up to leave.

“Wait, Eleanor, I wanted to talk to you about the new Inspector Spacetime episode that aired last night!” Abed shouted after Eleanor as she backed away toward the trash cans.

“Abed, I’ll have to take a rain check, I really do need to go. I’m sorry!” She called over her shoulder as she hurried away from the group. Duncan perked up and looked off after her.

“She likes Inspector Spacetime?” he said, turning to Abed. Abed nodded his head in response.

“I love that show,” Duncan mumbled under his breath.

“Hey, Britta, can I talk to you for a second?” asked Jeff in a pointed tone.

“Of course, Jeff. I was done with my food anyway,” replied Britta as she slid out of her seat.

“Hey, Jeff, um – don’t forget to let me know when you find the – um – thing, for me,” stammered Duncan. Jeff chuckled and gave Duncan a thumbs up.

Britta and Jeff hurried out of the cafeteria and down the hall, looking for a place where they could talk. Suddenly Jeff grabbed Britta’s arm and pulled her into a closet, shutting the door behind them. Britta turned to Jeff, a stunned look on her face.

“Eleanor likes –”

“Duncan, yes!

“And Duncan wants you to set –”

“Him up with someone, yes. So you should –”

“Talk to Eleanor about Duncan, and you should set up –”

“The blind date!”


	2. The Not-So-Blind Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duncan and Eleanor meet for dinner and cute things ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for some heart-melting fluff.

“Now Britta, you have to make sure that Eleanor really does like him before taking action,” reasoned Jeff.

“Well, duh,” Britta exclaimed. “I’ll take her to the study room or something and grill her about him.”

“Okay,” sighed Jeff. “I’ll hold off on Duncan until you make sure that she likes him. Let’s go.”

With that the pair exited the closet, looking around to make sure that no one that they knew saw them. Britta headed straight for the break room, knowing that Eleanor usually hung out in there during lunch. However, she was nowhere to be found. She wasn’t in any of the girls’ bathrooms, the break room, or even by her locker. Finally Britta ventured into the study room, exasperated, only to find Eleanor sitting at the table, curled up in her chunky fisherman sweater and scrolling on her laptop. As soon as Britta walked in, Eleanor glanced up and gave her a wan smile.

“Hey,” muttered Eleanor.

“Hey,” Britta responded. She hadn’t thought this far ahead.

“So, why did you storm out of the lunchroom? You don’t seem to be getting things for your next class,” Britta pointed out, taking the seat next to Eleanor’s.

Eleanor let out a long sigh and leaned back in her seat. “Do you really want to know?” she asked, anxiety in her voice.

“Of course I do, Eleanor. Besides, I kind of know already. You’re not very good at hiding it,” she admitted. Eleanor scrunched her face up with distaste.

“Really? Am I that bad?!” she groaned.

“I think Jeff and I were the only ones who really noticed. Duncan definitely didn’t notice, he’s kind of clueless,” consoled Britta.

“I wouldn’t have minded if _he_ had noticed,” Eleanor snorted.

“So you really do like him?” Britta pushed her to an answer.

Eleanor closed her eyes and let her head fall back, her hair dangling over the back of her chair. “Yeah, I really do.”

Suddenly she smiled. “It’s kind of ridiculous, isn’t it?” She began to laugh.

Britta began to giggle, too. “Yeah, it kind of is. But the heart wants what the heart wants,” she noted.

“Why do you like him?” she added, growing serious.

“Have you met me?! How could I not like him?” She paused. “Okay, don’t answer that last question. But, I mean, come on Britta – he’s perfect for me! He’s geeky, British, tall… and alone, just like me.” Her smile began to fade. “I just don’t think that he would like me, is all.”

“Eleanor, are you kidding me? Every single thing that you just said is not only why _he_ is perfect for _you_ , but also why _you_ are perfect for _him_.” Britta protested.

Eleanor furrowed her brows. “Hm. I never thought about it like that.”

“Listen, Eleanor, when are you free this week?” Britta asked.

Eleanor snorted. “Every night, unless I make plans with you all. Why do you ask?”

Britta smiled knowingly. “Just keep your schedule open. And if you don’t have a nice dress, go get one.”

***

Jeff felt his pants vibrate, so he pulled his phone out of his pocket only to find a text from Britta. It read, “Eleanor is free all week. Set her up a date with Duncan. She doesn’t know yet.” He smiled, texting her back, “Heading to his office now. I’ll text you with the date, time, and location. See you later.”

Jeff made his way to Duncan’s office and knocked on the door. After hearing a muffled “Come in!” he entered. Duncan was laid back in his chair, feet propped up on his desk. There was a half-finished glass of wine sitting next to him.

“Jeff! What is it?” asked Duncan, his words slightly slurred.

“I’ll think you’ll be excited to hear that I found a girl to set you up with.”

Duncan quickly sat up, leaning over his desk toward Jeff.

“And?” pressed Duncan.

“When are you free this week?” inquired Jeff.

“Jeff, are you genuinely asking me that question. I’m free all week. I’m always free. Well, except Saturday afternoon, there’s a Liverpool game,” said Duncan.

“Okay, well then I’ll set up the date for tomorrow night. Italian sound good?”

“That sounds brilliant.” responded Duncan.

“Wonderful,” said Jeff as he began to head for the door. “Let’s tentatively say seven o’clock tomorrow night. And Duncan – wear a suit for once,” he added.

“Wait, Jeff! Aren’t you going to tell me who it is?!” Duncan called.

“Oh, yeah – It’s that girl you have a crush on, Eleanor!” said Jeff, backing away from Duncan’s office.

“Wait, WHAT?!” Duncan shouted, standing up and looking on at Jeff, who was already halfway down the hall.

***

Eleanor sat fidgeting at the dinner table, trying to resist the bread placed in front of her. She had a sneaking suspicion of who she would be dining with, but she didn’t want to believe it for fear of being let down. Britta and Annie had come over to her house to help her get ready. Britta had curled her hair, enhancing its natural bounce and shine.

She was fidgeting with Eleanor’s bangs as Annie rifled through her closet.

“Don’t you own any cardigans?” she asked as she stuck her head out of the closet door.

“Not really,” said Eleanor. “I never really liked them.”

Annie’s eyes widened and she pulled her own cardigan closer to herself.

“No! I mean, they look great on you, I just don’t like them on _me!_ ” Eleanor insisted.

Annie returned to her work with a small “Hmph!”

“Okay, I’ve finished your hair!” said Britta, brushing through Eleanor’s bangs one final time with her fingers. “Let’s help Annie pick your outfit.”

“Well, I kind of know what I want to wear already,” said Eleanor, putting her round glasses back on and fiddling with her hair.

“Which dress is it?” asked Annie.

“The navy one with the white peter pan collar,” she pointed in the general direction of the garment. Annie pulled it off of the rack and held it out in front of her, admiring it.

“Oh, how did I not see this before? It’s beautiful!” cried Annie.

“Put it on!” insisted Britta.

“Okay, I’ll go change in the bathroom and be right back!” squealed Eleanor, her smile widening.

When she returned, Britta and Annie were picking out shoes. They gasped as they turned to admire her dress.

“Oh, Eleanor!” sighed Annie.

“It’s perfect!” exclaimed Britta.

The dress fit her perfectly: it was nipped in at the waist, and flared out from there to end mid-thigh. Her legs and shapely figure were on full display. Eleanor tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her cheeks reddening.

“Okay, what shoes am I gonna wear?” she said, turning the girls’ attention away from herself.

“I was thinking these white wedges,” suggested Annie.

“Okay, I’ll wear those,” responded Eleanor, leaning over to slip them on. “What time is it?” she asked.

“Um, it’s 6:30!” said Annie, checking her phone.

“Oh, you should go! You don’t wanna be late!” said Britta, ushering Eleanor toward the door.

“But I don’t wanna be early, either!” she cried in protest.

So, there she sat, ten minutes early on her not-so-blind date with her Professor, Ian Duncan. She didn’t even know what she was going to say when he walked in – “Hello, Britta set us up because she knows that I like you” ? Was he even going to think that she was who he was supposed to be meeting, or would he assume that she was there by coincidence? Would he even like her? What were they going to talk about? Certainly not Anthropology…

“Um, Eleanor?”

Eleanor’s head snapped up only to see Duncan standing next to her, looking quite dapper in a well tailored navy suit. _He cleans up well_ , she thought. Eleanor smiled and pushed her glasses back up on her nose.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hello,” he replied. “May I sit?” he motioned toward the chair opposite her.

“Of course! That is why we’re here.” She straightened up in her chair as he nervously sat down.

“Might I say that you, uh, look quite lovely.” Duncan managed to spit out a compliment.

“Thank you,” muttered Eleanor, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and staring down at her lap.

“So, you like Inspector Spacetime?” asked Duncan.

Eleanor lifted her virid eyes, a wide smile appearing on her face. “Yeah, I do! You know of it?”

“Know of it?! I’ve visited the Inspector Spacetime Museum in Cardiff, and met five of the actors who have played the Inspector! I grew up on that show, it’s the quintessence of British culture!” Duncan was leaning over the table with excitement.

“Have you decided on what you would like to eat?” The waiter suddenly arrived, and the two ordered their entrees. Surprisingly for Eleanor, Duncan didn’t order any alcohol.

“No wine?” she inquired.

He studied her with a soft smile on his face. “No,” he rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke. “I’d prefer to remember this night.”

Several minutes later, Eleanor noticed her phone light up as she heard a small ‘ding.’ It was a text from Britta: “How’s it going????”

“Duncan, I have to go to the restroom. Excuse me,” she stood up and grabbed her phone, making her way toward the bathroom.

“Oh, okay. Well, I’ll be here,” he smiled after her nervously.

Eleanor scurried into the restroom and sat down on the loveseat, pulling out her phone to respond to Britta: “It’s going great!!! He’s really nervous, but I like him as much as I thought I would, if not more… I have to get back. Bye”

After a quick checkup in the mirror, she rushed back to their table, only to see that the food had arrived. Duncan hadn’t started eating, and was sitting nervously glancing about, his leg bobbing up and down. He smiled and relaxed when he saw Eleanor.

She grinned as she sat down. “Did you think I was gonna crawl out of the window and leave you?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time a woman has run out on me. But they were never as beautiful as you are,” he said.

Eleanor giggled. “I never thought you would be this smooth, Professor.” She twirled her fettucine in her spoon and popped it in her mouth.

“You’ve thought about me?” he asked, fork in midair.

She finished swallowing, and replied, “Yes, I have. Quite a lot, actually.” _Where is this confidence coming from_ , she thought.

“I’ve thought about you, too,” he said.

“In what way?” she asked, shifting in her seat.

“I’ve thought about us like this. And… what life – together – would look like. In class I always found you so intriguing… you were different, somehow. Oh, I hope I’m not making you uncomfortable!”

“Not at all,” she smiled and gazed into his chocolate eyes.

“And how have you thought about me?” he asked warily, taking another bite of his food.

“I’ve thought about how to approach you, mostly. You seemed so perfect for me, but I had no idea how to talk to you, or what I would say. I grew up obsessed with British culture, and then when you came along it was as if my dreams became corporeal and were standing right in front of me… and how does one talk to a dream? And on top of it all, I could sense how lonely you were, and my desperation for you only grew. You deserve love, and companionship. I only hoped you would think the same way about me, because I was as lonely as you. I _am_ as lonely as you. God, I’m so thankful that Britta somehow convinced you to come on a date with with me,” she concluded.

“Britta?” he said, a puzzled look on his face. “Jeff set _you_ up on a date with _me_. I asked him to set me up with someone, hoping it would be you, and he somehow managed to convince you to come,” he objected.

“No, after I ran out of the lunchroom the other day I told Britta that I have feelings for you and _she_ set us up. That was Monday,” she added.

“Well I asked Jeff to set me up with someone on Friday, but he forgot about it until Monday when I reminded him during lunch, right before you came over,” noted Duncan.

“Well Britta told me that I wasn’t very good at hiding my crush on you when she found me after I ran out, so Jeff must have told her that he was trying to find someone to set you up with and she suggested me,” she explained.

“To be honest, Eleanor, part of me doesn’t even care how this happened. I’m just very, very glad that it did.”

“Me too,” she concurred, her cheeks glowing red.

The two continued eating, conversing with ease about their favorite music, movies, TV shows, and books. It was as if the two had known each other for years, and were just now catching up after time away.

At Duncan’s insistence, they ordered cheesecake to share for dessert.

“Cheesecake is one of my favorite things,” he mumbled, his mouth full of food.

Eleanor nodded her head in agreement as she swallowed a particularly large bite. “Me too,” she said after having finished.

When the waiter dropped off the bill, Duncan reached for it before Eleanor could move to take it herself.

“Duncan, you don’t have to, I’ll pay for myself,” insisted Eleanor, reaching for her purse to find her wallet.

“No, no – I insist. I want to pay for you,” he urged, pulling his card out of his wallet. “It’s a chivalry thing. I like it,” he shrugged as he slipped his card into the check book.

“Thank you,” sighed Eleanor.

When the waiter returned with the bill, Eleanor and Duncan reluctantly stood up and shrugged on their jackets. They exited the restaurant, the sky now dark, the moon peeking out from behind the clouds. Duncan insisted on walking Eleanor to her car, and she welcomed the gesture without protest. They walked close to each other, shoulders brushing against each other every now and again; sometimes intentionally and sometimes not. Eleanor gazed up at the stars, not noticing Duncan’s eyes on her, a smile spreading across his face. They arrived at her car, but she made no move to get in. They stood face to face, not wanting the night to end.

“When can I see you again?” he asked, standing close enough so that she could feel his breath on her cheeks.

“Is Anthropology class tomorrow not enough?” she teased, smiling up at him.

He chuckled, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear like he had seen her do a million times; her little habit drove him wild inexplicably. Her breath hitched at his touch, but she didn’t back away or break eye contact.

“God, can I kiss you?” he asked wantonly.

“I thought you’d never ask,” she confided.

He tentatively leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. They separated for a moment, looking into each other’s eyes and smiling; it all felt so right. Eleanor slowly leaned back in, taking him in deeper than before. Duncan brought his hands up to her face, cradling her head in his hands as she wrapped her arms around Duncan’s torso, holding his chest flush to her own. Eleanor relished in his scent: a musky cologne, vanilla coffee, and the stale tinge of mediocre wine. They breathed each other in, finally together after weeks of stolen glances, midnight dreams, and failed attempts to confess to one another. They broke apart gasping for air after they could no longer hold their breath.

“Are you free tomorrow night?” she asked, eyes half-closed and still locked in his embrace.

“Of course I am,” he responded between gulps of air.

“We - we can’t really tell anyone about us, can we?” she asked, resting her head on his chest. He held her to him while his fingers brushed through her hair.

“Well, it’s not like we can hide from Britta and Jeff. But we should try to keep it under wraps. The administration wouldn’t exactly approve of us dating,” he concluded.

“Oh – Annie knows too, by the way,” Eleanor admitted.

“Okay, so that’s three people that know. That’s fine, they won’t tell anyone. Well, not anyone important.” he consented. They stood rocking together in silence for another few moments. The sounds of night life surrounded them: tires against the pavement, honking horns in the distance, heels clicking along the sidewalk, brakes screeching, groups chatting while standing outside for a smoke break, and the slight buzz of neon signs on street corners.

“I don’t wanna move,” confided Eleanor.

“Hm. Neither do I. We could just stand here all night, I suppose,” he smiled as he rested his chin on top of her head.

“I wish. I need my beauty sleep, though,” Eleanor sighed in resignation.

“I’ll see you first thing in the morning, okay?” he consoled her.

“Okay,” she pouted, pulling away from him.

She gave him one last chaste kiss on the cheek and walked around to the driver’s side of her car. She smiled at him as she unlocked it and pulled her door open.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said.

“Yeah. See you tomorrow,” he replied.

She slipped into her car, turning the key in the ignition as she watched Duncan dig his hands into his pockets and saunter back toward his car, his sable hair glistening in the moonlight. She leaned back in her seat contentedly and closed her eyes with a smile on her face, taking stock of the night and wondering how it all came to pass. She sat for only a moment before pulling out of her parking spot and heading home.


	3. The First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleanor's finals have left little time for her and Ian to be alone together. When her finals are over, the pair decide to celebrate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, there is (finally) some smut in this chapter!

Eleanor and Duncan became nearly inseparable over the following weeks. Duncan began to hang around the Study Group as an excuse to be by Eleanor on school property without setting off any alarms. Eleanor managed to weasel her way into Duncan’s second-year Psychology class, validating the hours she spent in Duncan’s office “studying.” The rest of the group slowly became aware of Eleanor and Duncan’s relationship, but the pair weren’t really seriously concerned about any of them except for Pierce. He had a tendency to spill secrets to people he barely knew, and the news that Duncan was actually dating would spread through Greendale like wildfire, even if it weren’t a student that he was dating. Duncan also began to drink less and less. His compulsive need to drown his sorrows in alcohol faded as Eleanor replaced his heartache with joy. Her golden hair wasn’t the only thing about her that shined; her personality sparkled and threw color into his life. Eleanor, however, would say the same thing about her Ian; he had brought happiness to someone who had none. The most broken people often have the widest smiles, and the loneliest often have the largest need to give to others what they never received. Eleanor and Ian were both givers; they poured into each other, and gulped down whatever the other had to offer. Although Eleanor wasn’t a fan of PDA even without the taboo nature of their pairing, behind closed doors she was not afraid to display her affection. They would be on the couch in his office, and she would lay her head in his lap while she read _The Count of Monte Cristo_ or _Anna Karenina_. He would absentmindedly run his fingers through her hair, brushing it away from her face as he read his students’ research papers. Occasionally a strand of her hair would catch in the small hinge of her glasses and she would yelp in pain, spurring Duncan to quickly drop what he was doing and kiss it better. Usually one kiss would lead to another, and the pair would end up making out on the couch, Eleanor straddling Duncan and mussing up his own hair for “revenge.”

This was one such afternoon; Eleanor and Ian were spending lunch in his small office so that he could “help” Eleanor with a “difficult Psychology paper.” In reality, they had made it to his office and quickly forgotten their lunch trays thrown haphazardly onto Duncan’s desk, crawling onto the small couch and losing themselves in one another’s arms. Eleanor’s finals had left little time for the two to be alone. They had yet to be intimate, and their need to be together grew with each passing day. Duncan was running his hands up and down Eleanor’s back as she kissed up and down his jaw, feeling the slight itch of his stubble scrape her cheeks and lips. They were stopped short when there was a rap on the door and a muffled “Professor Duncan?”

“Shit!” whispered Duncan, pushing Eleanor off of him and quickly fixing his hair and tie as he stood up and made his way to the door. He glanced back at Eleanor to see if she had gotten her glasses back on and straightened out her blouse. “You ready?” he asked.

Suddenly Eleanor noticed a bright red mark at the base of his jaw.

“Shit, Ian! My lipstick is all over your jaw!” she hissed.

“Fuck – I – I’ll just do this!” he muttered as he popped up his collar, barely hiding Eleanor’s marks.

He swung open the door to see a student laden with books, clearly looking to have some questions answered. He started to speak but stopped when he saw Duncan standing there in a sweater vest with his shirt collar popped up. His jaw dropped, then snapped back into place in confusion as Duncan stood waiting to get this all over with.

“Yes? What is it?” Duncan demanded.

“I – um, just had a question for you about Erik Erikson’s Stages of Morality,” mumbled the student, still clearly baffled by Duncan’s appearance. He peeked into the room to see Eleanor reading on his couch, sitting in an unnaturally straight position. Her shoes were off and her glasses were slightly askew. Suddenly he noticed her smudged lipstick and glanced back at Duncan, noting the red tinge peeking out of his popped collar on the right side of his jaw. Duncan quickly began to usher him away and close the door when he noticed the gears turning in his student’s head.

“I’m sorry, um – Ray, but I can’t help you right now, I’m meeting with another student. Just look it up on Crash Course, I’m sure Hank Green does a splendid job explaining Vygotsky’s Prime Zone of Development,” advised Duncan.

“It was Erikson’s Stages of Morality, sir,” Ray corrected.

“Right, of course – see you in class this afternoon!” Duncan concluded.

“We don’t have class today,” interjected Ray, peeping his head through the shrinking gap between the door and its frame.

“Well then I’ll see you whenever the hell we _do_ have class. Good day!” he said with a final slam of the door.

Duncan and Eleanor sighed with relief as their privacy was restored. Suddenly Eleanor began to giggle, and then Duncan joined her. Soon the two were howling in laughter.

“I think the popped collar look suits me, don’t you?” he joked.

“Oh, yes!” Eleanor scoffed. She wiped tears from her eyes as she relaxed against the plush cushions. “I swear, that’s the last time I wear lipstick.”

“Oh, don’t say that, love,” muttered Duncan. “I quite like it.”

“Well, that’s only because the human brain finds women more attractive when they are in red,” countered Eleanor.

“Oh, someone’s been doing her reading,” remarked Duncan, pulling Eleanor to her feet and into his arms.

“When’s your last final?” he asked, rubbing small circles on her waist.

“This afternoon,” she replied.

“Fantastic. Come over to my place, we can celebrate the end of your confinement. I’ll get take out, we can watch a film…” his voice trailed off.

“And then?” she pushed him to continue, her heart beginning to race.

“We’ll do whatever you want,” whispered Duncan.

“You know what I want,” she responded, her lips quivering slightly.

“You might be tired. We don’t have to if you –”

“Do you not want to have sex with me?” she demanded.

“No – I mean – yes! But, I just want you to know that you’re in control,” he stuttered.

Eleanor grinned and rested her head on his chest, rubbing her cheek into the soft cashmere of his sweater vest as she listened to his heart pound.

“You’re so cute when you’re nervous,” she smiled. _When should I tell him?_ she thought. She had been thinking about it nonstop. She had to tell him before their first time together; he would want to know.

_Tonight. I’ll tell him tonight._

 

* * *

  
Ian and Eleanor lay cuddled up on the couch in Ian’s small apartment, watching the credits of  _The Princess Bride_ begin to roll. Their legs were tangled together under a large blanket, and Ian held Eleanor close to him so she could rest her head on his chest. She tore her eyes away from the screen and watched as she brushed her fingers over Ian’s chest, covered only by his white undershirt. She bit her lip, knowing that she should tell him now or she would never get it out, when –

“Eleanor, there’s something you need to know before we continue,” began Ian.

“What is it?” she asked, looking up into his eyes. He was staring at the fabric of the couch, avoiding her gaze. Eleanor’s body began to tense with anxiety.

“I’m… Eleanor, I need to tell you this because it might affect how and if you wish to continue. I hope this doesn’t change your opinion of me, but I don’t think it will come as any surprise. I’m not exactly a ladies’ man…” he was still avoiding her gaze, but holding her close to him.

“Ian, I think I know what you’re about to tell me, and you should know that it doesn’t change my opinion of you. Not in the slightest. And part of the reason that it doesn’t is because, well… I’m a virgin too,” she admitted.

“Oh, really?” the tension in Ian’s body deflated upon hearing her confession. “I never would have guessed. Yes, that's what I was going to tell you, I just didn’t know when to do it… I thought it might, I don’t know, put you off or something.”

“Why would that put me off? I’m glad that I’ll be your first, and that you’ll be mine,” reassured Eleanor.

She sat up, throwing off the blanket and straddling Ian’s hips. She took his face into her hands, rubbing her thumbs over his cheeks, which were covered in stubble.

“We don’t need to rush it. We’ll just go slow. I mean, we’re not completely clueless,” she urged. Eleanor took off their glasses, discarding them on a nearby coffee table.

“I’m can't see a thing,” mumbled Duncan.

“It’s okay, I'll see for you,” consoled Eleanor.

Ian smiled up at her, rubbing small circles over her hips, her flesh now exposed to him as her shirt rode up her waist. Ian brought one of his hands to Eleanor’s neck, pulling her down to him for a kiss. This was nothing like how they kissed in his office, or after dates; instead of hurried passion they took their time, intending to draw things out. They were finally alone, with no classes or students to interrupt their time together. Eleanor broke off the kiss to transition her assault to his neck, hoping to leave marks that were more permanent than lipstick. Without warning, she lightly bit the sensitive flesh in the crook of Ian’s neck.

“Ow!” yelped Duncan.

Eleanor smiled into his cheek. “Oh I’m sorry, did that hurt?” she teased.

“A little,” he admitted. “But I kinda liked it.”

Ian’s hands had made their way up Eleanor’s back to unclasp her bra.

“Fuck – damn clasp,” stammered Ian.

Eleanor giggled and reached back to unclasp it herself while Ian applied himself to the simpler task of removing her shirt. He then slipped off the straps of her bra and suddenly she was exposed to him. Her nipples stiffened into hardened peaks, though from more than the cold rush of air. Duncan cupped her ample breasts in his hands, eliciting a gasp from Eleanor. He glanced up at her to gauge her reaction.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked.

“Oh, God no!” she stammered.

“As you wish,” Duncan smirked.

“Shut up,” she snorted.

He took her advice and moved his mouth to one of her nipples, while pinching and rolling the other with one of his hands. Eleanor broke out in goosebumps as Duncan continued to lave over her breast. She never would have thought that she would enjoy someone only paying attention to her upper half, but Duncan was setting her on fire. Eleanor shifted slightly so she could lean farther into Duncan’s mouth, when she felt his growing erection pressing into her thigh. He groaned slightly at the much needed contact. She began to repeat her movements, pressing her crotch to Duncan’s stiff member in an attempt to gain some friction for herself. Duncan continued to groan, muttering a string of expletives into her chest as he came up for air. Eleanor lifted off Duncan’s shirt and threw it to the side onto the ever-growing pile of clothes. She ran her fingers through his sable chest hair, reveling in the feel of his skin and texture of his hair. She looked up and saw Duncan staring at her, his mouth slightly ajar.

“Would you like to go my bedroom?” he asked, slightly out of breath.

“God yes,” she replied, hopping off of his lap.

Duncan took her hand and pulled her down the hall to his bedroom, stumbling slightly as he navigated without his glasses. In her few glimpses about his room, Eleanor noticed a Liverpool FC poster, a chestnut queen-sized bed, and checkered shirts lying in a pile on an easy chair in the corner. She didn’t have long to look around as Duncan quickly pulled Eleanor to himself, crushing his lips onto hers. Her chest was flush to his, much like their very first kiss, but things were obviously different this time. The nerves were still present, but instead of nerves of hesitancy they were nerves of excitement. Eleanor reached between their bodies to unbuckle Duncan’s belt, slipping Duncan’s trousers over his slender hips. Eleanor palmed him through his underwear and Duncan moaned heavily in her mouth.

“Stop,” he panted, pulling away from her.

“What, why?” she asked, concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, I just know that I won’t last if you keep doing that.” He began to pull down her leggings, revealing her lacy black knickers. “Oh fuck,” he groaned. “I don’t think you’re quite ready for me, I want to make you come first,” he said, picking her up and laying her down on his bed.

“And how do you intend to do that?” she asked.

He cocked one of his eyebrows at her question as he crawled between her legs, planting kisses on her sternum and down her stomach.

“How would you like it?” he asked, his voice now a low drawl.

“I don’t really care, all I know is that if you don’t touch me soon I’m gonna lose it,” pleaded Eleanor.

He snorted and began to kiss her inner thighs, working his way towards her core. His stubble scratched her skin, raising goosebumps across her body. Suddenly he stopped to nip at her sensitive flesh.

“Ouch!” she yelped.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did that hurt?” he said, mocking her earlier statement.

He began to lightly rub her through her knickers, gasping a little when he found them soaking wet.

“Fuck, you’re wet,” he whispered.

Duncan finally pressed his thumb to her clit, causing Eleanor to whimper and clap her hand over her mouth in an attempt to muffle the noise.

“Please don’t do that,” he pleaded, pulling away slightly. “I want to hear you. I want to hear how good I can make you feel.”

Eleanor nodded her head and reluctantly moved her hand, her cheeks tinging red with shyness. Duncan slid her knickers over her bum and down her thighs, and holding them to his nose when he had finished.

“You smell amazing,” he muttered, mostly to himself.

Eleanor could’ve come right then and there, the sight of him smelling her wetness on her knickers and thoroughly enjoying every second of it was too perfect. Finally he tossed her knickers to the side and leaned back down between her legs, eye level with her dripping folds. Without warning he began to lap at her clit, causing her to cry out in pleasure. One of her hands swept her bangs to the side, the other clutched her side in an attempt to stop shaking. Duncan briefly slowed to move one of her hands into his hair.

She continued to whimper and moan as he licked broad strokes from her entrance to her clit, alternating between slow and fast movements. As she began to tense slightly, Ian sucked on Eleanor’s clit as he thrust one and then two of his fingers into her. Duncan moaned into her as he felt her muscles clamp down around his fingers which were pressing into her g-spot. He began to work her faster as he could feel her come closer and closer to the edge.

“Oh, Fuck! Ian, I’m – I’m gonna come!”

Ian continued to suck at her clit as Eleanor moaned heavily, bucking her hips into his face and tightly gripping onto his hair. Ian slowly removed his fingers from her, licking them clean as he regarded Eleanor. She looked so beautiful, spread out for him like this: bangs to stuck to her forehead with a light sheen of sweat, eyes still shut tightly as she caught her breath, cheeks, sternum, and shoulders splotched with red, inner thigh muscles trembling slightly.

  
She opened her eyes and smiled at Duncan, motioning for him to come closer to her. He crawled over top of her and softly pressed his lips to her own. She reached down to once again palm Duncan’s erection through his boxers, causing him to moan into her mouth. He began to kiss and suck down her neck, leaving marks that Eleanor would be quite proud of later. Duncan reached down to lightly stroke at Eleanor’s engorged bundle of nerves, which were now extremely sensitive in the after effects of orgasm. The feel of Ian’s hot breath on her skin, him lightly thrusting into her hand, and his fingers softly rubbing her clit quickly extinguished any fatigue Eleanor had felt after her orgasm.

She brushed through Ian’s hair, whispering, “Please, Ian, I need you inside me. Please. I want to feel you come inside me.”

“As you wish,” he said, briefly stepping off the bed to remove his boxers.

This time all Eleanor could do was whimper at Ian’s words, because she knew that he meant it. It was his “I Love You.” Duncan lined himself up at her entrance and slowly thrust in. Eleanor held the back of his neck and watched him as he strained, trying not to thrust too quickly too fast so as not to hurt her. Any pain she felt dissipated when she looked at his face, seeing all the love he felt for her in that moment. Eleanor wrapped her legs around his waist, encouraging him to push in as far as he could. They both groaned as he bottomed out, reveling in the new sensation.

“I’m so glad you’re my first,” panted Ian.

He began to slowly thrust in and out, pausing every now and again to rub his tip against Eleanor’s clit. The only sounds in the room were the vulgar slurping sounds of Duncan pushing in and out of her, their panting and moaning, and the light creak of the mattress.

“God, you’re so wet!” moaned Ian into Eleanor’s ear.

“Ian…” let out Eleanor in a strained gasp.

He stopped completely, much to Eleanor’s annoyance. She squirmed beneath him, trying to gain the friction she so desperately needed.

“Ian, God – please go faster! Please, please don’t hold back, just let go, darling – let go!”

Duncan responded with a moan as he began to thrust at a much quicker pace, muttering a string of praises and expletives into the crook of Eleanor’s neck. She brought his face up to her own as she could feel his thrusts becoming more sporadic, and she knew that he was skirting around the edge. Crushing his lips to her own, she began to clench her muscles around him, eliciting a low, guttural moan from Duncan.

“Fuck, how the hell do you do that?!” he gasped.

She responded by clenching her muscles once again, just as Duncan thrust one last time inside of her, filling her with his come as he moaned her name over and over in his delicious accent.

He pulled out of her and rolled onto his back, allowing Eleanor to curl into his chest. They lay there, panting from the exertion for several minutes.

“So, did you, uh – was I, I mean – was that okay?” asked Ian.

“Okay? My God, that was fantastic. You shouldn’t even have to ask… I hope that felt as good for you as it did for me,” panted Eleanor.

“Fuck – that was amazing. To be honest, I thought my smelling your knickers would put you off, but you seemed alright with it,” confided Duncan.

“Oh, Ian, I was more than alright with it. That was like the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. I always thought that guys would find my scent gross, so watching you enjoy it was, well – amazing,” she sighed.

“Oh, damn!” she hissed, sitting up.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Your come is dripping out of me,” she responded.

“Oh, shit. Let me get my handkerchief out of my pants pocket,” he said, springing into action.

Eleanor paused. “You keep a handkerchief?” she scoffed.

“Something wrong with that?” he asked.

“No, it’s just – that’s really cute,” she muttered as he wiped his come from her dripping folds.

He tossed the handkerchief into his hamper and crawled back into bed, lifting the covers and motioning for Eleanor to do the same. They snuggled together as she rested her head on Duncan’s chest, the two sighing in contentment. Eleanor took in his scent, the usual cologne and coffee scent now mingled with sweat and sex.

“I’m so glad those damn finals are over,” he sighed, holding her close to him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading! If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave kudos, it means a lot! Also, feel free to comment! I really want to improve my writing skills. I have so many ideas, but translating them onto paper is easier said than done. I hope that you enjoyed it!


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